View full size360 Architecture 360 Architecture showed off several potential designs for the Milwaukie baseball stadium. This one shows a southeast orientation in relief. A taller left outfield wall is necessary because of the slope of the land. The stadium could face either southeast, north or northeast.

The next phase of the $20 to $25-million project could be when it gets interesting for spectators out of city limits. Not only will stadium designs begin to look more concrete, but teams exploring the possibility of moving to the city would be named.

The
next phase will take three months. The City Council set aside up to
$300,000 in October for the year-long process. The first phase used
about $84,500.

First, the city will form a resident task force to guide what the stadium could be used for besides baseball, what economic trade-off would be palatable to the community and other details of what Milwaukie residents want in a ballpark.

The decision wasn’t without debate, though. Councilors Dave Hedges and Mike Miller voted against the next step because they want to hold on to the city’s money while negotiations to pay $4.1 million to TriMet for Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail are ironed out.

Hedges revealed that the city expected to be on the hook for much less of the $5 million the city agreed to pay because of in-kind contributions, such as staff time and rights of way. So, while the council must decide how it wants to pay off the contract, Hedges wants to put other expensive projects on hold.

“The outcome of the options involved made me seriously worried about the financial implications of the city,” Hedge said.

View full size360 ArchitectureA southeast stadium orientation shows off a building facade as the "front door." Architect Anton Foss suggested to the city demolishing two extra buildings to make room for an extended entry plaza for shops or other events to occupy. The designs are still in the infancy stage and architects said ballparks are malleable in design.

All five councilors agreed that if an economic feasibility study says the ballpark won’t bring development to Milwaukie and won’t encourage outsiders to spend their dollars at Milwaukie businesses, they will back down. Councilor Greg Chaimov and Mayor Jeremy Ferguson said they don’t know that information yet, though.

“As with light rail, my experience has been the people of this community want to know if this project will pencil out, will go forward,” Chaimov said. “If it pencils out, if it will be done right.”

“Putting this project hold, even for a temporary time, given the very short fuse on this project, may very well stop it.”

Mark Neubauer said the way to make money is to invest in making products, rather than fun.

“Entertainment does not create wealth, it transfers money,” Mark Neubaur said. “Therefore, it is not something that is economically feasible.”

Many people also said they worried about tax money being used for something that doesn’t immediately make life easier, such as fixing stop lights and providing for low-income families.

“Ballparks are nice, but they don’t do a darndest thing for kids when we can’t afford teachers, we can’t afford books,” Jean Baker said.

Some pro-stadium residents joined in, echoing the optimistic voices of previous forums: the stadium could eventually pay for sidewalks and street improvements, it would put Milwaukie on the map and would be a positive icon for the community.

In response to some residents' criticism that the ballpark would only produce minimum-wage jobs, both Councilors Dave Hedges and Joe Loomis bristled.

Hedges said he's been unemployed for years and would gladly take a concession job over no job.

“I’d be happy to go down there and flip burgers. Although, it might not be a good idea after tatsting some of the burgers, I’ve flipped.”

Loomis said members of his family, including his wife, worked at the Rose Garden concessions at different times.

“It wasn’t a high paying job, but it helped.”

Design

360 Architecture showed off several potential designs for the stadium. They visualized it with southeast, north and northeast orientations. Northeast is a typical orientation, but a different orientation might maximize space or display a flashier entry point.

They also listed potential uses, such as weddings, job fairs or an indoor winter farmers market. They also showed that a soccer or football field could fit inside the baseball field parameters.

After further studies, 360 Architecture said there would be no light spillage into the abutting Ardenwald neighborhood, but residents would be able to see the lights if they looked directly at them.

The noise study is not cemented, but architect Anton Foss said so far, there is no reason to believe the noise from the stadium would break the city's ordinance.

The designs show eight buildings removed from the site, currently used by the Oregon Department of Transportation as a maintenance yard. The architects, though, suggested removing two more to create a larger entry plaza. Few existing trees, though, will need to be removed.

Site

Community Development Director Kenny Asher said city staff must find and pay for an alternate site where ODOT operations can move before the city can have the north industrial site. Because the city wasn't ready to make a decision on moving forward with the project yet, two of the three potential alternate sites are unavailable, but Asher said there could still be more out there.

The relocation could cost $3 to $5 million, but that is not a final number.

“It is a negotiation and if we get close with ODOT and need them to bring a little more to the table, they may,” Asher said.

Parking

With less than 40 percent of fans estimated to arrive by public transit, the architects said they guess 1,126 spots will be needed. Using public and private lots and non-residential street parking, 1,865 spots should be available.